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A holdover from the '90s warehouse, ramp-oriented parks, the Skatepark of Tampa keeps things interesting with a constantly changing, cutting-edge street course and, more importantly, by hosting one of the few international amateur contests that anyone gives a rat's ass about -- the Tampa Am. Win this shred-fest and you could become the next Ryan Sheckler. Or enter the famous moat race (through the open-air bayou/sewer running in front of the park) and score a sweet case of diphtheria. Add to that a booth offering free Skatepark of Tampa tattoos for all comers and you have one hell of a weekend.

Euro-gaps, ledges, pyramids, double sets, flat bars and street-sized handrails provide ample opps for cutting edgery, while well-placed quarter pipes, corners and wallrides allow those of the ass-hauling persuasion to do so. Out back they've got a classic, no-frills, metal vert ramp and a satellite building which houses a smallish street course, the old man's bowl, a compact mini-ramp and a gallery space used for various arts and culture (and beer-bonging) events. It's hot as a sauna in summer, but the Skatepark of Tampa stands strong as a bastion of stoke in an otherwise skate-hostile locale. Seriously. Have you tried to skate in Tampa? That place is fucked.

In short: Go for the contest; stay out of the moat.

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Photos: Courtesy of Burnett